- Listen to the entire program<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/p>\n
![\"vromans\"](\"http:\/\/www.indiebound.org\/files\/storepics\/vromans%20bookstore.jpg\")
A last-minute bid by Borders Group Inc to sell 30 of its bookstores and assets to Books-a-Million, has failed. Borders Books, the nation\u2019s second largest book seller now faces the liquidation of its nearly 400 stores nationwide. Internationally, Borders operates more than 500 stores. The giant retailer announced Title 11 bankruptcy in February of this year. The fall of Borders raises questions about the future of print books, and the physical stores that sell them. The growing popularity of digital books, and the expansion of online retailers like Amazon.com, has made print and digital books almost instantly available to consumers through a few clicks online. What does this mean for independent booksellers? On the one hand, the imminent absence of a Borders store in a city can drive more business to existing independent bookstores. But on the other hand, publishers who are owed millions of dollars by the bankrupt chain, are likely to pressure indie bookstores to pay up their bills faster. Additionally, the same factors that potentially led to Borders\u2019 closing, can impact independent booksellers. Here in Southern California, independent bookstores are a near-extinct breed, with beloved institutions like Midnight Special Books in Santa Monica having closed their shutters one after another over the past several years. One indie bookstore that has managed to survive for more than a 100 years is Vroman\u2019s Books in Pasadena. <\/p>\nGUESTS: Alison Keyes, Assistant Promotional Director at Vroman\u2019s bookstore, Andy Laties, author of Rebel Bookseller: How to Improvise Your Own Indie Store and Beat Back the Chains<\/em><\/p>\n
Vroman’s Books is located at 695 E. Colorado Blvd Pasadena, CA 91101, and online at www.vromansbookstore.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n